Receptacle heels for footwear



pt. 22, 1959 M. GOLDSTEIN 2,904,901

RECEPTACLE HEELS FOR FOOTWEAR Filed Jan. 14, 1959 INVENTOR MURRAY GOLDSTEIN ATTORNEY United States Patent 'RECEPTACLE HEELS FOR'FOOTWEAR .MurrayGoldstein, Brooklyn, N.Y. Application January 14, 1959, Serial No. 786,841 3 Claims. (.Cl. 36-

This invention relates to heels for footwear and is particularly directed to heels with removable receptacles therein.

To meet the long-felt need for ;a compartmented shoe wherein could be stored shoe laces, coins for emergency 'use or small personal appurtenances, various shoe and heel devices have been devised; but these have generally been impractical either because of their interference with the wearers comfort, or because of exceedingly high costs entailed in their fabrication. it is accordingly my object to provide a practical shoe device that can conveniently serve as a small depository for items of the class above-mentioned, and that has none of the aforesaid shortcomings.

More specifically, it is an object of this invention to provide a heel structure that has a receptacle which is normally hidden from view, .and which is nevertheless readily accessible and removable. And in this aspect of my invention it is another object to provide novel resilient locking means which safely holds the receptacle locked to the :heel, and which, by its yieldable action, permits the receptacle to be removed by a simple manual manipulation, without the need to employ special tools.

Another object of my invention is .the provision of a simple heel device having the aforesaid features, that is, adaptable for mass production and is hence inexpensive, and which can be attached to a shoe by the same techniques employed for the attachment of the usual solid heels.

Other objects, features and advantages will appear from the drawings and the description hereinbelow given.

Referring to the drawings,

Figure l ,is a fragmentary .side elevation of a shoe, .LShDWH partly in section, having attached thereto the heel device of my invention, .the dot-dash lines showing the receptacle component thereof .partly removed from the rubber heel compartment.

Figure 2 is a disassembled top -view of the heel and receptacle components of Figure 1, shown looking finthe direction of the arrows 22.

Figure 3 is an enlarged fragmentary horizontal section of the components of the device of Figures 1 and 2, showing the receptacle partly inserted in the inner compartment of the heel.

Figure 4 is a view like Fig. 3, but showing the receptacle fully positioned within the inner compartment of the heel.

Figure 5 is a horizontal section of the heel and receptacle components of another form of my invention, the receptacle being shown partly inserted in the inner compartment of the heel.

Figure 6 is a section of Fig. 5 taken along line 6-6.

Figure 7 is a horizontal section of the heel and receptacle components of still another embodiment of my invention, the dot-dash lines showing the receptacle partly inserted, the section being taken along line 7-7 of Fig. 8.

Figure 8 is a front view, partly in section, of Fig. 7.

Patented Sept. 22, 1 959 "ice Figure 9 is a top view of the heel and receptacle components of another form of my invention, thereceptacle being shown fully in place.

Figure 1-0 is a front view, partly in section, of 'Fig. 9.

Figure '11 is a fragmentary top view like '9 but showing the receptacle component only partly inserted in the inner compartment of the heel.

In the form of my invention illustrated in Figures 1 to 4, the heel 10, preferably made of rubber or other resilient material, is attached by fasteners 11 to the rear heel portion 12 of the shoe '13. The gheel 10 contains an inner compartment '14 defined by the base 15, side walls '16 and 17 and rear 'wall 18. The front center ,portion of the said heel is recessed at "19 .to form ,a front opening for .the compartment, the overlying portion 20 of the shoe constituting the roof of said compartment. The marginal portion of the heel surrounding the compartment 14 comprises the opposite lateral portions 21.and '22 and the rear portion 23, such portions being substantially U.-sh a ped and being proportioned so as to accommodate therein the holes}! for receiving therethrough the fasteners 11. 'The arrangement is hence such that the heel '10 can .be attached to the shoe in conventional manner.

Integral with the said resilient marginal portions 21 and 22 and extending from said respective lateralwa'lls 16 and 17 slightly into said compartment "14 are the flexible tongues 25 and 26, respectively, the former being flanked by .recessed portions 27 and 28, and the latter by recessed portions 29 and 30, said tongues form ing releasable locking members in a manner to;behereir ibelow described,

Proportioned to be slidably accommodated within said compartment 14 is the container 31 comprising the side walls 32 and 33, the rear wall 34, the front wall 35 with the finger .grip recess 36 and the floor 37. The said side walls 32 and 33 have therein the respective inwardly extending indentures 38 and 39, positioned and propertioned for operatively receiving therein the said respective tongues '25 and 26, as will more clearly here'inbelow appear. It should be noted that in the particular form illustrated, said tongues ,25 an 2.6 a Wider at their respective bases .thanat their free inner edges shown as apical edge portions 40 and 41., ,said tongues being separated at 42 from the base '15 .of the heel, ,so as to enable h t n ue f e y o flex fo wardly and rearwardly.

During the operative insertion of the container 31 within theheel compartment 14, the tongues 25 and 26 are deflected by the respective container sides 32and '33, whereby the container is permitted -to slidably move into the said compartment against the slight frictional resistance of said tongues. As-will be seen fro m' Fig. 3, the tongue "26 is deflected into the adjacent space 30,--t-he tongue remaining substantially in this position until the indenture 39 of the container reaches the tongue whereupon, due to the latters resiliency, it will spring forwardly when the tongues apical portion 41 enters the indenture, this action being facilitated by the space 43 between rear wall 34 of the container and the rear portion 23 of the heel member 10. The container 31 is now releasably locked within the compartment 14 due to the yi'eldable holding action of the said tongues 25 and 26. In this operative position, the container is not visible, the heel appearingand functioning-like a conventional heel. To withdraw the container 31, a pull is applied to the recessed gripping portion 36, whereupon said yieldable tongue will be urged forwardly to permit the container to slidably move out of engagement with the heel 10.

In the form of my invention illustrated in Figures 5 and 6, the heel 44, which need not be of resilient material as in the form above described, is of a configuration substantially similar to that of said first form, the substantially U-shaped marginal portion generally designated 45 surrounding the compartment 46 on three sides, and being proportioned for accommodating in the body thereof the fastener apertures 47. Afiixed to the right marginal section 46 is the locking insert 49, made of resilient material such as rubber, and comprising a flexible tongue 50 flanked by two recessed portions 51 and 52.

The container number 53 is substantially like container 31, except that it has an indenture 54 in only one lateral wall 55, positioned and proportioned for releasable in terlocking engagement with said tongue 50, in the manner aforesaid. This embodiment of my invention, functioning like the form shown in Figures 1 to 4, is thus particularly though not exclusively adapted for use with leather or non-resilient heels. It has the added advantage of permitting the locking member 49 to be made of material having the required physical characteristics for a yieldable holding member, which may be different from those of the heel proper.

Figures 7 and 8 illustrate still another form of my invention, in which the heel 56 is substantially like the corresponding heel member of the form first above described, the lateral walls 57 and 58 being, however, smooth and only the rear wall 59 having the forwardly protruding preferably resilient tongue member 60 proportioned to frictionally and releasably enter the correspondingly positioned indenture 61 of the container 62 when the latter is operatively positioned within the compartment 63 of heel 56. It is evident that said container 62 can be readily inserted and removed so as to function like the corresponding containers of the above described embodiments of my invention.

In Figures 9 to 11 the preferably resilient heel 64 has anchored in the lateral marginal portion 65 thereof the resilient spring member 66, the innermost portion comprising the crown 67 extending slightly into the compartment 68 of the heel and positioned for frictional engagement with the side 69 of the container 70, said side 69 having therein the recessed portion 71 proportioned and positioned to receive therein said crown. The arrangement is hence such as to permit a ready insertion and withdrawal of the container, the latter being yieldably locked within the heel in its operative position, being hidden from view, and being in non-interfering relation to the conventional heel fastening means.

In the above description, the invention has been disclosed merely by way of example and in preferred manner; but obviously many variations and modifications may be made therein. It is to be understood, therefore, that the invention is not limited to any form or manner of practicing same, except insofar as such limitations are specified in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a heel device adapted for attachment to the heel portion of a shoe, a heel member having a hollowed 4 portion in the body thereof forming a compartment, said heel member having U-shaped portion enveloping said compartment at the lateral side and rear portions thereof, whereby said U-shaped portion may receive therethrough suitable fasteners for attaching the heel member to the heel portion of said shoe, a yieldable locking member extending from the body of the heel member into said compartment, the front portion of said heel member being recessed to form an opening communicating with said compartment, and a container member slidable within said compartment through said front opening thereof, said container member having an indentured portion proportioned and positioned for releasably receiving therein said locking member when the container member is operatively disposed within said compartment.

2. In a heel device adapted for attachment to the heel portion of a shoe, a heel member having a hollowed portion in the body thereof forming a compartment, a locking member having a yieldable portion extending from the body of the heel member into said compartment, and two recessed portions flanking said yieldable portion, and a container member slidable within said compartment and engageable with said yieldable portion,

said compartment being proportioned to accommodate therein said container in a fully inserted position, said container member having an indentured portion proportioned and positioned for releasably receiving therein said locking member when the container member is in its said fully inserted position.

3. In a heel device adapted for attachment to the heel portion of a shoe, a heel member having a hollowed portion in the body thereof forming a compartment, said heel member having a base, laterally opposite side walls and a rear wall defining said compartment, the front portion of said heel member being recessed to form an opening communicating with said compartment, a locking member comprising a resilient tongue extending from one of said side walls into said compartment, and two recessed portions flanking said tongue, said tongue being mounted for flexing movement forwardly and rearwardly, and a container member slidable within said compartment through said front opening, said container having in a side portion thereof an indentured portion proportioned and positioned for releasably receiving therein said tongue when the container member is operatively disposed within said compartment.

References Qited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 922,499 Molitor May 25, 1909 1,085,254 Halley Jan. 27, 1914 2,478,411 Martin Aug. 9, 1949 FOREIGN PATENTS 484,172 Italy Aug. 29, 1953 910,292 France Jan. 21, 1946 933,974 France Jan. 7, 1948 

